Irish men's swimming coach Tim Welsh has been honored with the CSCAA Distinguished Service Award

May 28, 2009

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -
Notre Dame men's swimming coach Tim Welsh was honored this week by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) with the CSCAA Distinguished Service Award for his 35 years of service in college coaching.

A 1966 graduate of Providence College, Welsh has served as a head coach in the collegiate ranks for the past 32 seasons - Johns Hopkins (eight years) and Notre Dame (24 years) - after previously serving as an assistant coach at Syracuse. He has accumulated a 416-250-1 (.624) record, including a 294-160 (.648) mark since joining the Irish in 1985. For the first 10 seasons at Notre Dame, Welsh served as both men's and women's coach, before heading up just the men's program in 1996. He had a 93-51 (.646) record as the women's head coach and has compiled a 201-109 (.648) mark as head coach of the Irish men.

Over the span of his head-coaching career he has helped lead his teams to two national championships, coming in 1978 and '79 with Division III Johns Hopkins. He has also led his teams to a total of 31 conference championships (Midwestern Collegiate - 15, Middle Atlantic - nine, BIG EAST - four, Eastern Intercollegiate - two, North Star - one). Since joining the BIG EAST conference, Welsh has helped lead his team to a top four spot in the BIG EAST Championships in each of the last 12 seasons, including capturing the conference crown in the '05, '06, '08 and '09 and finishing runner-up in '99, '00, '04 and `07.

Welsh has also received personal accolades as well during his years as head coach, including being named Division III National Coach of the Year ('79) as well as BIG EAST Coach of the Year on four occasions ('99, '04, '05, '08).

Along with being presented with the Distinguished Service Award, the CSCAA also named Welsh as the Division I men's representative on the Board of Directors. This will mark the second consecutive year in which Welsh has served in that capacity for the CSCAA.